Apparatus for ore concentration.



T. J. HOOVER. APPARATUS FOR ORE GONGENTRATIOK.

, APPLICATION FILED JULY 14,1910.

' Patented Dec. 27

other particles are not so'floated.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

'THEODORE JESSE HOOVER, OF LONDON, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR TO THE MINERALS SEPARATION LIMITED, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

APPARATUS FOR ORE CONCENTRATION. 7

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 27, 1910.

Application 'filed July 14, 1910. Sexial No. 571,989.

To all whom it may concern:

- Be itknown that 1', THEODORE JEssE HOOVER, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at London, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Ore Concentration, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for ore-concentration.

Several processes are known in which air is beaten into a liquid containing powdered ore in suspension, whereupon the bubbles of air attach themselves to certain particles which are 'thereby caused to float, while The object of this invention is to improve the apparatus used in this type of process The invention will be best understood with reference to the accompanying drawing which is a diagrammatic illustration of one form of apparatus. v

Referring to the drawing several mixing vessels (say six L L L L L L are placed side by si e. These may convenientl be large vats separated by partitions Where several vessels are connected together into a group the partitions have openings at the bottom so that the liquid may pass from one vessel to another. At the end of each group however the partitions are complete. Each vessel is provided with a to-- tatable agitator or stirrer N which is conveniently in the form of several radial blades (curved or straight) radiating from the bottom of a rotatable vertical shaft. Each agitator is carried by a vertical spindle rotated at a high speed by any convenient means.

Crushed ore or similar finely divided mineral is fed into the first vessel through any convenient ore feeding device and water is also fed into the vessel.-

A small proportionof acid, such as sulfuric acid may be introduced into the water, and a small proportion of one or more other substances which enable metallic sulfids to be floated by air under theconditions specified may be introduced. The liquid containing ore in suspension is vigorously agitated in the vessels. On the lateral wall of the mixing vessel, or of the last mixing vessel of the first group L there is an outlet a at the bottom leading directly into a set-, tling apparatus consisting conveniently of a spitzkasten The spitzkasten is preferably constructed the spit-zkasten.

as shown in the drawing but instead of being connected to the end of the mixing Vessel it is connected at the side. The-liquid and the sunkenmaterial pass out through an outlet thence through a spitzkasten 0 into'a secondary mixing apparatus L L thence into a second spitzkasten O and through a third mixing apparatus L L and a third spitzkasten 0 The spitzkasten shouldbe all on one level. At a convenient point, say a ,few inches below the level of water in the spitzkasten, the spitzkasten are connected together by conduits such as short pipes B. By this means the level of water in the spitzkasten is maintained the same so that exactly the required amount of voverflow is constantly maintained in each. The bulk of the circuit liquor passes away with the tailings from the bottom of the last spitzkasten.

In order to determine automatically the level of liquid in the spitzkasten, one of the spitzkasten, conveniently the last, 0 is connected by a conduit as before with a vessel S of large area (the regulating ve'sse l) placed alongside and filled with liquid, conveniently circuit liquor or water.

One convenient way of keeping a constant level in the regulating vessel is to provide an overflow pipe S the open top of which is at the desired level or a pipe can be so placed that it introduces waterinto the re ulating vessel whenever the level falls be ow the normal. The regulating vessel ma simply be provided with a very small supp y of water constantly running in through a tap, T

at a rate arranged to give the necessary overflow in the spitzkasten or the regulatlng vessel S may have both an overflow pipe S and an inlet of water through tap T.

Modifications may be made in the details of the invention provided always that the spirit of the invention is not departed from.

The] rogally acting agitator of said secondary mix ing vessel.

.2. Apparatus for concentrating ores by gaseous flotation of certain mineral particles in liquid comprising a mixing vessel, an agi tatorin said mixing vessel, a spitzkasten at the outlet of said mixing vessel, a secondary mixing vessel, a connecting conduit between the tailings outlet of the spitzkasten and the center of the bottom of said secondary vessel and a tentrifugally acting agitator in said secondary mixing vessel.

3. An apparatus for concentrating ores by gaseous flotation of certain mineral particles in liquid comprising in combination a plurality of mixing vessels connected as a group, an agitator in each of said mixin vessels, a spitzkasten at the outlet of said group of mixing vessels a plurality of secondary mixing vessels connected as a group, a ccntrifugally acting agitator in said secondary mixing vessel, and a connecting conduit between the spitzkasten and the zone of the suction influence of the centrifugally acting agitator.

4. An apparatus for concentrating ores by gaseous flotation of certain mineral particles in liquid comprising in combination a first mixing vessel, an agitator in the. mixing vessel, a spitzkasten at the outlet of the mixing vessel, a secondary mixing vessel at substantially the same level as the first mixing vessel, a centrifugally acting agitator in said secondary mixing vessel, and a connecting conduit between the tailings outlet of the spitzkasten and the zone of the suction influ-' once of the centritugally acting agitator in the secondary mixing vessel.

5. An apparatus for concentrating ores by gaseous flotation of certain mineral-particles in liquid comprising in combination a mixing vessel, a spitzkasten at the outlet of said mixin vessl, a secondary mixing vessel a centri ugally acting agitator therein, and a connecting conduit between the tailings outlet of the spitzkasten and the zone of the suction influence of the centrifugally acting agitator in the secondary mixing vessel, said conduit being provided with an air inlet.

0. An apparatus for concentrating ores by gaseous flotation of certain mineral particles in liquid comprising in combination a series of mixing vessels, a centrifugally acting agitator in each, a series of spitzkasten placed respectively at the outlets from the mixing vessels and at the same level with one another, a conduit from the tailings outlet of each spitzkasten to the zone of the suction influence of the centrifugally acting agitator of the next succeeding mixing vessel, and a valve controlled air inlet in said connecting conduit.

7. Apparatus for concentrating ores by gaseous flotation of certain mineral particles 'in liquid, comprising in combination a series of mixing vessels, a centrifugally acting agitator in each, a series of spitzkasten placed respectively at the outlets from the mixing vessels and on the same level with one an other, a conduit from the tailings outlet of each spitzkasten to the zone of the suction,

influence of the centrifugally acting agitator of the next succeeding mixing vessel and a connecting conduit near the top but under the liquid level between each'pair of adjacent spitzkasten.

8. Apparatus for concentrating ores by gaseous flotation of certain mineralparticles in liquid, comprising in combination a. series of mixing vessels, a centrifugally acting agitator in each, a series of spitzkasten placed respectively at the outlets from the mixing vessels and on the same level with one another, a conduit from the tailings outlet of each spitzkasten to the zone of the suction influence of the centrifugally act-ing agitator of the next succeeding mixing vessel and a connecting conduit near the top but under the liquid level between each pair of adjacent spitzkasten, a vessel of relatively large area connected by a conduit with one of the spitzkasten and means for maintaining com-- stant the level of the solution therein.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

THEODORE JESSE HOOVER.

\Vitnesses i H. D. JAMISON, N. W'rnLIAMS. 

